"The Fine Detective story does not contain 'a' clue but it is a ladder of clues, a pattern of evidence, joined together with such cunning that even the experienced reader may be deceived: until, in the blaze of the surprise ending, he suddenly sees the whole design."
- John Dickson Carr

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Case of The Ivory Statue - Sax Rohmer

Story: Case of The Ivory
Statue

Author: Sax Rohmer

Book: The Dream Detective
(Queen’s Quorum Title)

Theme for the Month:
Locked Room or Impossible Crime Stories

Paxton has been asked by a
rich man to create a very fine duplicate of a rare statue of Nicris. To make
the statue look even more resplendent, it is adorned with some of the most rare
and antiquarian ornaments.

Paxton is carving the
sculpture based on a beautiful model and the inkling of impending problems
start when the model complains that the statue moved on its own and uttered ‘Nicris’
when she was alone (only once) with the statue. The statue is being given the
final touches in preparation to be displayed at an exhibition before it is
whisked away from the public eye to the hidden chambers of the rich man. Paxton
invites three of his friends to dinner (which includes the narrator Mr.
Searles) to display the almost completed statue which is intricately connected
to the throne on which it is sitting. When asked as to what security
arrangements have been made, Paxton confesses that there is no need for
security as he is always present in the same room along with the statue.

Later that night, Paxton
hears a voice outside the house chanting the lone word ‘Nicris’. He takes his
gun outside, finds no one, the policeman who is keeping guard at the end of the
road is still at his post who confirms that nobody entered the house nor left
it and when Paxton returns back to his house, the throne is empty and the Ivory
Statue has disappeared! He has spent only 30 seconds outside the house; he
should’ve surely seen a person coming out if that person entered the house and
surely such a big statue couldn’t have disappeared into thin air – dismantling
it from its throne alone would have taken half an hour for the most skilled
worker!

Moris Klaw, who is called
in by Mr. Searles decides to spend the night on his customary vigil in that
room to get the psychic photograph. Klaw reveals the next morning that his
psychic photograph shows the Statue to have walked out on its own! Based on
this knowledge, Klaw pursues his investigation - he uses his knowledge of the
history of the antiques involved to good effect to add to his wonderful
deductive capabilities to bring the culprits to justice.

The trick of the
impossible disappearance is quite neatly done though the mechanics involved to
pull it off seems a bit stretched – but who cares as long as the author can put
forth an ingenious puzzle and back it up with an equally ingenious solution,
one can only sit back and savor the delight of another grandest game unfurling
before you!